Shanghai Tower Will Feature World’s Fastest Elevator

The Shanghai Tower, currently being built in China, will feature the world’s fastest elevators with the lifts carrying passengers up and down the building at a rate of eighteen metres per second. Mitsubishi Electric Corporation are building the systems designed to beat the current Guinness World Record of 16.8 metres per second. Three sets of elevators will ferry passengers from the basement to an observation deck on the 199th floor once the skyscraper is completed. Pneumatic control will control air pressure to ears popping on the rapid ascents and descents. Special cables and ceramic braking systems will also be employed.

The Shanghai Tower is being built by the Shanghai Tower Construction & Development Co., Ltd., comprised of the Shanghai Chengtou Corp., the Luijiazui Finance & Trade Zone Development Co., Ltd., and the Shanghai Construction Group. The development and construction of Shanghai Tower is drawing upon capital of RMB 5.4 billion and will house a mix of commercial facilities, hotels, tourist units and convention halls. It is expected to be finished in 2014.